This invention relates to improvements in liquid distributing apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus especially for plant treatment substances such as herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers and the like, particularly for mixing such substances with water to assist the user to more accurately apply prescribed amounts of these highly dangerous, and in many cases, toxic substances in a safe and efficacious manner, said apparatus being a relatively simple and inexpensive design. In addition to use in plant treatment applications, the invention has utility in washing situations where a prescribed amount of detergent are to be mixed with water for cleansing airplanes, cars and the like and also to situations in mines where water and water based substances are used for dust control purposes. Other uses will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
Parker U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,215,132 and 2,741,997 discloses a method and apparatus for distributing liquid solutions, particularly liquid fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, weed killers and other chemical solutions through a conventional garden hose with ordinary pressure and wherein a water jet pump has a suction tube immersed in a pail carrying the substances being distributed and in actual devices marketed under the Parker patent various check valve arrangements and the like have been incorporated to prevent contamination of water upstream of the jet pump. This device lacked a means of agitating the liquid solution being applied and a means of metering the concentrate solution which features are disclosed in Lynn U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,394. The system disclosed in Lynn U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,394 utilized a portable turbo jet spraying device in which a cover on a container carried a water driven rotor to which was secured an agitator which was rapidly rotated by the rotor so that insoluble materials are maintained in suspension and the water, after driving the rotor is sent through the jet pump or aspirator in which a calibrated needle valve was provided in the flow path in jet tube so as to provide a metering arrangement for controlling the concentration of the material to be sprayed. As noted earlier, check valves are commonly utilized to prevent dissolved material from passing upstream of the apparatus to contaminate the incoming clear water, and such an arrangement is shown in Duda et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,258.